danica o. kus documents nederlands fotomuseum's move into santos warehouse in rotterdam

danica o. kus photographs the renewed nederlands fotomuseum

Photographer Danica O. Kus documents the recently opened Nederlands Fotomuseum in Rotterdam’s Rijnhaven district, now occupying a nine-story, early 20th-century coffee warehouse, originally built between 1901 and 1902 to store beans arriving from the Brazilian port city of Santos (find designboom’s previous coverage here). Her images dwell on the tension between weight and lightness, capturing thick masonry walls and ornamental facades counterbalanced by exhibition spaces. The robust structure of the former warehouse is not erased but reframed, allowing photography to unfold within a calm environment. Climate-regulated galleries, cold storage facilities, and newly visible conservation areas signal the technical upgrade of the building, yet Kus’ lens keeps attention on how visitors encounter the work.

all images by Danica O. Kus

from coffee storage to cultural infrastructure

Constructed by Rotterdam architects J.P. Stok Wzn and J.J. Kanters, the Santos warehouse stands as a rare, well-preserved example of early 20th-century port architecture in the Netherlands. Listed as a national monument since 2000, it now integrates contemporary interventions, including a new atrium and a perforated aluminum ‘crown’ that accommodates offices, a restaurant, and short-stay apartments. The transformation, led by Rotterdam-based WDJArchitecten in collaboration with Hamburg studio Renner Hainke Wirth Zirn, equips the listed monument with advanced conservation facilities while retaining its industrial gravitas.

Through architectural photographer Kus’ series, the renewed museum emerges less as a spectacle of renovation and more as an infrastructure for attention. The project aligns architectural preservation with archival responsibility, situating photography within a building once dedicated to global trade. In this shift, the Santos warehouse becomes a place housing more than 6.5 million photographic objects, where the material history of the city converges with the evolving language of photography.

the perforated aluminum ‘crown’ rises above the historic brick facade

contemporary rooftop extension contrasts with the early 20th-century masonry below

original brickwork and green shutters preserve the building’s warehouse identity

exhibition graphics and large-format prints activate the robust steel framework

the central void connects multiple levels

cascading staircases and steel walkways reveal the building’s layered interior

thematic displays introduce archival material alongside contemporary presentation tools

large-scale photographic works unfold against the preserved industrial structure of the warehouse

gallery spaces balance dark-toned exhibition walls with exposed timber beams and steel columns

new interventions, including perforated metal volumes, sit within the historic shell

a skylit atrium brings daylight deep into the nine-storey structure

the rooftop ‘crown’ offers panoramic views over rotterdam’s rijnhaven district

1/19

a sculptural staircase unfolds beneath the skylit atrium

the folded metal stair volume is clad in patterned panels

the underside of the suspended stair reveals its angular geometry

circular thresholds frame views between gallery rooms

cyanotype works are presented against deep blue exhibition walls

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

project info:

name: The National Museum of Photography (Nederlands Fotomuseum) | @nlfotomuseum

architect: Renner Hainke Wirth Zirn Architekten | @rhwz.architekten, WDJArchitecten

location: Rotterdam, Netherlands

photographer: Danica O. Kus | @danica_o_kus_photography